wear out

[ wair-out ]
See synonyms for wear out on Thesaurus.com
verb phrase
  1. to make or become unfit or useless through hard or extended use, exposure to sunlight or hard water, etc.: Our daughter always wore out her play clothes before she outgrew them.

  2. to exhaust, as by continued strain; weary: Your endless bickering is wearing me out.The people’s patience was being worn out by this tedious uncertainty and long waiting.

  1. to deprive of meaning or effect by frequent repetition: That excuse was worn out long ago—I’m tired of hearing it.We’re going to wear out the words “amazing” and “incredible” if we keep overusing them.

  2. to consume or remove, or be consumed or removed, especially slowly or gradually: Avoid placing the pavement painting where heavy foot traffic will wear out the paint faster.

nounwear-out or wear·out [wair-out] /ˈwɛərˌaʊt/
  1. the act or fact of wearing out or being worn out; a worn-out condition: I’ve had these pants for 20 years, and they’re only now showing some wear-out at the knees.

Idioms about wear out

  1. wear out one's welcome. welcome (def. 10).

Origin of wear out

1
First recorded in 1895–1900; noun use of verb phrase wear out

Other words for wear out

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

British Dictionary definitions for wear out

wear out

verb(adverb)
  1. to make or become unfit or useless through wear

  2. (tr) to exhaust or tire

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with wear out

wear out

Become or cause to become unusable through long or heavy use, as in She wears out her shoes in no time, or The coupling in this device has worn out. [Early 1400s]

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.